The History of the Sofa

26-06-2013 15:55 (0 comments)

An alternative take on how the sofa came to be

Historically, the place of the sofa has not always been
consistent. Certainly in Ancient Egypt there was no media-worshipping,
all-couches-turn-to-television mentality. Rather, furniture was given a more
sombre role, provided to give extra comfort with longer-lasting freshness in
its accompaniment of the Pharaoh to the seemingly under-furnished afterlife.
Our first historical encounter with what we would recognise as a sofa evolved
from the continental tapestry. Significant progress in 16th century
technology meant that opulent gold-threaded patchwork war-scenes were no longer
considered a necessary component of home insulation. Rather, there was much joy
to be had in the celebration of this newfound freedom: the material was taken
down from the walls and draped expertly around various pieces of furniture. The
couch was born. Derived from the Old French couche
or coucher (meaning ‘to lie down’, as
in, “voulez vous coucher avec mon ami? Il
s’appelle Jeremy.”), the couch would be laid upon by men and women of a
more delicate, horizontal inclination.

Once it was discovered that sitting upright was not only
comfortable but also more socially conducive, horsehair, feathers and straw
were replaced in 1828 by the spring. Further developments ensued with the
wooden-framed spring sofa making a timely appearance in 1904. By the 1920s,
Dunlop had decided to stop sponsoring John McEnroe and concentrated instead on
producing rubber foam, which was easily incorporated into the sofa manufacturing
process.

Today, the sofa sits triumphant in the living room; it
carefully guards the stores of treasure buried deep within its upholstered
limbs, lying in wait for the time when you need some spare change.

Not just a piece of furniture, the sofa has evolved with us
to become a necessary chronology of human history and achievement.